As part of our continued commitment to supporting young talent in Nottingham, we took on Fred Nichols as our most recent intern from the University of Nottingham, via their Nottingham Internship Scheme this summer.
Fred supported across multiple teams, including Client Services, Operations and Experience and reflects on his six-week experience during our catch up.
What made you want to intern at Hallam, and what did you know about the agency before you started?
“I liked how I would have the chance to work across a variety of teams and departments. I also wanted varied work that would give me the opportunity to learn as much as possible. This is something Hallam allowed me to do.
I also knew Hallam was a certified B Corp, meaning they do benefit for the planet and society alongside making a profit, which aligned with my morals. Also, Hallam is a medium-sized company which meant I could learn from lots of different people, but it still has the close-knit and approachable culture of a smaller company.”
You’ve worked across Client Services, UX, Operations and general marketing – what would a typical day actually look like for you?
“Every day has been different, but I’d usually start the day with a standup meeting in the morning where I’d go through my tasks and objectives for the day with the team I was part of that week. That also gave me a chance to catch up with everyone, ask questions and raise any problems I might be having.
After that, I’d reply to emails and messages that have come in, then spend the rest of the day working through my to-do list, ticking things off as I go. I’d usually have a few meetings throughout the day, whether that’s with clients, internal teams or my mentors at Hallam.”
What’s the biggest difference between how you imagined agency life and how it’s actually been?
“Honestly I didn’t really know what to expect when I started, so everything has been new to me. I have been pleasantly surprised by how collaborative everybody has been. I find that I’m always talking to people or sitting in on meetings. It’s nice to have that strong teamwork aspect, which is something I didn’t expect, especially as Hallam is a hybrid team. Everyone has been very welcoming and no one has had a problem giving up their time to help me out.”
What’s one thing you learned in Client Services that surprised you or changed how you think about client relationships?
“The relationship is more conversational than I expected. I learnt that Hallam is seen as an extension of clients’ internal teams and CS is the bridge between the two. I also learnt about the complex dynamics of managing differing expectations and stakeholders within a project, which the Hallam CS team always seem to handle brilliantly.”
UX is quite a specialist discipline – what was it like getting stuck into that side of things with no prior background, and what stuck with you most?
“I had a very base-level understanding of Figma, but that was about it, so there was a learning curve at the start to get me to a decent level of proficiency. It’s the sort of software that’s forgiving, and you can afford to learn through trial and error. After a few days of practice, I got the hang of how to use it and felt like I could start contributing to the team.
What stuck with me most was the playground feature in Figma. It’s a great rough space to assemble all my ideas into a mood board, and it’s a skill I’ll take forward in the future.”
“Hallam is a medium-sized company which meant I could learn from lots of different people, but it still has the close-knit and approachable culture of a smaller company.”
Was there a project or task you worked on that you’re particularly proud of?
“In the Operations team, I worked on moving files over into Claude projects. This allowed the team to have a centralised database of knowledge for every client that Claude could pull from. It was rewarding to see the impact this work had, and the potential it has to streamline internal processes and efficiency.
The UI concept design I did for Workbooks‘ new website was also a particular highlight for me. I took their new brand identity and translated it into a website design. I learnt a great deal from this project, and I’m hoping to see a few of my elements come through into the final design.”
You’ve gained knowledge of many disciplines at Hallam – what is something interesting you’ve learned that you didn’t know prior from any of the teams?
“With Operations, I’ve learnt how to effectively use Claude to produce better work and connect up so many systems in ways that are really useful. I’ve messed around with the different features, most notably Claude Skills. I see this as a really useful tool, and something I’ll continue to use in my future studies.”
What’s a piece of advice or feedback you got from someone at Hallam that’s stuck with you?
“Chris Bliss gave me some good feedback on UI design. He reinforced the fact that everything in a design needs to serve a purpose and be intentional. Make sure you include elements that add to the meaning, and nothing else. Sometimes having space around an element is the most effective choice. Don’t clutter a design – keep things simple and to the point.”
What aspects of the internship with Hallam would you now look for in your future employment?
“Hallam has a very close, friendly culture, which has been great to be a part of. Everyone has been really supportive and offered their guidance and advice. This sort of working environment is something I’d look for in the future.”
What would you tell another student thinking about doing an internship in a digital agency?
“You don’t necessarily have to be doing a related degree to work in a digital agency. I do an Engineering degree, but I’ve learnt a lot from my time at Hallam. The fact I had a creative mindset, problem-solving attitude and was open to learning new things was enough to get a lot out of the internship – and hopefully meant I gave back to Hallam in return!”
